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“Bill, no,” Connor said, climbing up into the trailer with him. “What are you doing?”
“Getting payback,” Bill declared, tossing the plastic bottle in onto the grate with the meat. “He’s not winning again this year.”
That meat was ruined now, Connor knew. These guys all prided themselves on their wood-smoked meats. No artificial or man-made flavors allowed. Definitely no accelerants.
“You saw him. He was on the camera, right?”
“Yes, he was on the camera,” Connor confirmed, “but he wasn’t the one who burned your trailer.”
Bill went still, panting. “What?”
“You need to come back to your rig and look at the video.”
Bill looked up at him, confusion clouding his eyes. “What do you mean it wasn’t Pete? But he…”
“I know he was poking at you, but he didn’t hurt your smoker.”
Looking defeated, Bill moved toward Connor. “I…” he looked back at the smoker. “I should….”
“Come on,” Connor said, once again putting a hand around his shoulder.
They walked back to Bill’s demolished trailer. His wife smiled tentatively when she saw him coming and walked forward to meet them. Bill finally allowed her to pull him into a hug. “It wasn’t Pete,” he murmured.
Connor watched the older woman frown as she patted Bill’s back. “It doesn’t matter, dear.”
Courtney still stood there, demeanor one of an excited on-looker.
“Courtney,” Connor said. “Pull it up, please.”
The director scrolled through her tablet for a few seconds, then turned it to face the older couple. Bill dug his glasses out of his pocket and slid them on. He didn’t say anything, just turned to his wife and pulled her into a hug. “Beth…”
The older woman had tears rolling down her cheeks. “You get too wound up about all this, and I’m tired of it. The doctor said you have to give it up, Bill.”
“I was going to,” he promised, “after this competition.”
She smiled at him, sadly shaking her head. “And how many times have you told me that? I knew as long as you still had the trailer, you would want to compete. Bill, we have a condo in Florida we’ve only been to three times in ten years. It’s time to relax.”
Olivia watched as Bill took her hands in his own. “Yes, my love.”
Connor crossed to her and rested an arm over her shoulders. “Isn’t that sweet?”
“Mm. It’s true love, obviously,” Olivia concurred, tongue in cheek.
Connor grinned down at her. Then his gaze dropped to her lips. Would he really kiss her right now? His head began to lower.
“Connor, maybe you can walk me back to the judge’s tent,” Courtney said, stopping beside them, uncomfortably close. Olivia gritted her teeth. This was Connor’s town, but if this young woman thought she could get away with this rudeness…
“I’ll have Pat walk you,” Connor said, waving one of the local deputies over. “Ms. Michaels needs an escort to the judge’s tent.”
The deputy grinned and tipped his hat, eyes flaring with enjoyment as he looked at the woman. “Yes, ma’am. I can certainly walk you there. Wanna stop and get a lemonade on the way? My treat.”
Courtney looked tempted. Olivia could almost literally see the internal struggle. Greed won. “Why, yes, deputy, I would love a lemonade. You do not know what a hard job this is…”
Her voice trailed away as the cop walked her away.
“Are you going to owe him for that?” she asked wryly.
Connor shook his head. “Naw. Pat likes anything in a skirt, so he appreciates being thrown in as bait.”
